Module 4 Week 3: Heat health action plans  (meso-level)

 Welcome to the third week of the fourth module of this e-learning!

 This module focuses on interventions on the meso-level: interventions on how to reduce complications from extreme heat, as well as to prevent high in-building temperatures. Also, heat health action plans might be useful with respect to these goals.  In this week, we will focus on these plans. 

 You have learned all about interventions, both on micro- and mesolevel. Clearly, there are lots of possible interventions that can be used to reduce the unwanted effects of heat waves. Some are cheap, others are expensive. Some of them are highly effective, some a little less. You have learned that a combination of interventions might be the most powerful solution.

 But in order to do so, there is one important thing, which is ‘to be prepared’. We need to be prepared for the future, and future situations. To overcome this challenge, the WHO has published a report on developing heat-health action plans.


 This report, which was published in 2018, will be of importance this week and can be downloaded from the WHO-website. 

(https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/107888/9789289071918-eng.pdf?sequence=1)

 This week’s work:

 1.      Before you start with these action plans, first read Chapter 2 of this report (pages 2-6), which can be considered as a refresher of all the things you have learned in the previous weeks. If you find some new information with respect to climate change, heatwaves, vulnerable groups and thermoregulation, please consider going back to the first modules of this week. 

And make sure you go through every former module, including all the corresponding weeks.

 2.      After you have made sure you really understand the basics of heatwaves, their effects and possible interventions, please read Chapter 3 of the WHO report (pages 7-29) closely. 

 Find the 8 core elements of effective heat-health plans, and write them down in your own words. 

Please consider what these elements mean in terms of short- and long-term interventions. And: which key factors can you identify?


 3.      In Chapter 3, the importance of communication is emphasized. Please remember the 6 key messages, and write them down.

 4.      In this chapter, several examples of measures of urban planning and housing are shortly reviewed. Please chose one example of a short-term measure, one example of a medium-term measure and one example of a long-term measure.  What are their advantages, and disadvantages?

 5.      Please read the article of An Vu et al. (An Vu, Shannon Rutherford, Dung Phung. Heat health prevention measures and adaptation in older populations – a systematic review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 4370; doi:10.3390/ijerph16224370.). What are the main conclusions of this review? And how does that compare to the WHO report you have read this week?

 Knowledge Check

To check whether or not you have understood the material presented in this week:

please find an existing heat-health action plan in the database of this e-learning, or on the internet.

Write down the main characteristics of this plan, and formulate at least 3 strong points of this plan, as well as (at least) 3 weak points. 

Finally, formulate advice on how this plan can be improved.


Last modified: Wednesday, 1 May 2024, 1:30 PM